A blog by Regional Leader for the North East and Midlands Elim Churches UK

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Trigger points

Acts 22:22 “The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, ‘Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!’”

Let us remind ourselves that the reason why Paul has to defend himself is that he had been accused of taking a Gentile into the Temple. He hadn’t but the crowd believed so.

Until he said the one word the crowd gave him their attention.

The word was of course, “Gentiles”. He was called to the Gentiles! That was the proof they needed, right from his mouth, he had taken a Gentile into the Temple. Now Paul should die!

All quiet, listening, taking in what Paul was saying, the soldiers maybe thinking at last now we have some calm and then … fireworks and frenzy. Paul had touched the raw nerve, the soft spot, their trigger spot.

A trigger spot cannot be seen, it is under the skin. The term ‘trigger point’ was first coined by the America Physician Janet G. Travell.

Trigger points or tender spots are located within or below the skin and when compressed they will usually become more tender or painful, they’re also often associated with areas of pain and discomfort adjacent to or distant from the tender spot. These referred feelings can include a wide range of wonderfully strange sensations from a heavy or dull aching to searing hot pain, pins and needles or numbness to name a few.

In the same way we have trigger points emotionally and mentally as well as physically. For the Jew, their trigger spot were the Gentiles. If you mention any kind of love or compassion to the Gentiles it was likely to get a painful reaction or as in the case of Paul, a reaction to inflict pain on him!

What are your trigger points?

When a name is mentioned do you react?

If so, then you need help.

The treatment for trigger points varies between pressing on the pain firmly for prolonged periods of time to not doing so and focusing more on the nervous system away from the pain applying positive feelings into the body. Basically you go through pain or positive influence in order to remove the painful trigger spot.

My friend, David, had a saying, “Touchy people need touching” meaning those who are always reacting need to be provoked.

If you have such spots then you need to face the pain that is in your own life or you need positive influence coming in to your life that will overwhelm the hidden pain.

But we must be free of these trigger points. We must stop reacting when a name is mentioned. We must walk free from carrying prisoners and the past. Love must occupy and own our hearts.